The invention is based on an apparatus for transferring flat articles, in particular foldable boxes, from a delivery station to a receiving station.
In an apparatus of this type known for instance from European Patent Document A 1 34 628, a stationary suction device is disposed at a reversing point of the cycloid path of the holders or suction cups between the delivery and receiving stations; when a holder, with a foldable box lying flat, arrives at the reversal point, the wall of the foldable box opposite the wall held by the suction cup is temporarily grasped, so that when the suction cup leaves the reversal point the foldable box held by the suction cup and the suction device is erected. Since a very brief time is available for erecting it, and the path of motion of the foldable boxes is not adapted to the required erecting motion, the foldable boxes cannot be opened fully into the rectangular shape. Furthermore, foldable boxes made of a relatively rigid packaging material, because of the strains in the packaging material, virtually resume their flat shape again once the suction device is disengaged therefrom.